Foldable car-steps.



J. H. FASSETT & J. E. WARREN.

FOLDABLE CAR STEPS."

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, I915.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c

1 TED STATES PATE OFFICE.

JAMES H. FASSETT, OF NASHUA, AND JOHN E. WARREN, OF GREENFIELD, NEW HAM]?- SHIRE, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM H. CHEEVER, OF NASHUA, NEW

HAMPSHIRE.

FOLDABLE CAR-STEPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed November 8, 1915. Serial No. 60,370.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMEs H. FASSETT, residing at Nashua, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, and JOHN E. VVARLREN, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, citizens of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in car-steps and particularly to foldable carsteps; and an object of this invention is to provide a foldable car-step which will be simple in construction, comparatively cheap in manufacture and eflicient, durable and convenient in operation and use.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to us of applying that principle, Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of so much of a car equipped with our car-step as is necessary to illustrate this invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line AA of Fig. l but shows only the lower car-step, the upper car-step being omitted; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but shows only the upper car-step, the lower car-step being omitted; and Fig. 4 illustrates the position of the parts when the car-steps are completely folded or fully raised.

The car-body a is supported upon the wheels 6. To the front part 0 of the car a there is fulcrumed at (Z an L-shaped lever e the lower arm f of which is connected by a link 9 with a crank arm 72. fastened upon one end of the shaft a, which is rotatably supported in hangers j fastened to the floor is of the car. Parallel with the car-body a and at the side thereof there extends a pair of car-steps m, 'n. The upper car-step m is hingedly fastened at 0 to the brackets 29 which depend from the floor is of the car a. At one end of this upper car-step m there is fastened an L-shaped bracket 9 which is con nected by a link 1* with the crank-arm k,- and when the operating-lever e is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 4, the upper step we is folded into a vertical position in which its outer longitudinal edge lies beneath the floor 70 of the car. To the lower car-step a there is fastened a series of arms 8 each of which is pivotally fastened to a crank-arm 72, fast upon the operating-shafts and is furthermore connected by a link t with the lower end of an L-shaped bracketu the upper end of which is fastened to the floor 7c of the car a. When the operatinglever e is thrown from the left to the right in Figs. 2% and the upper car'step m is folded into a vertical position, as hereinbefore described, the lower car-step a is through the arms .9 and crank-arms 7:. brought upwardly into a horizontal position in which the outer longitudinal edge of the lower step a lies below the upper step m.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the steps are folded compactly and in their folded position lie entirely beneath the floor is of the car a.

We claim:

1. A structure of the class described, including a suitable support; a pair of steps movable toward and from the same; and mechanism by which said steps are simultaneously moved toward said support and one of said steps is folded into a substantially edgewise-lying inoperative position and the other of said steps is moved into a substantially fiatwise-lying inoperative position.

2. A foldable step including a suitable support, a shaft rotatably supported therefrom; a step pivotally fastened to said shaft; a step pivotally fastened to said support; and mechanism by which the lastnamed step is folded into a substantially vertical edgewise-lying and inoperative position and said shaft is rocked and the firstnamed step is carried into a substantially horizontal fiatwise-lying and inoperative position close to the first-named step and the edge of said support.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands at said Nashua, this 27th day of October, A. D., 1915, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

JAMES H. FASSETT. JOHN E. WARREN.

Witnesses:

JAMES B. SWEENEY, FRED G. RoBB.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

